Bombay, often referred to as the city that never sleeps, is not only known for its busy streets, historical buildings and the Bollywood industry.

It is a heaven for the foodies as well.

The cuisine of Mumbai is a mixture of various cultures, this is because of the people that reside in that area.

Michelin star eateries are of fine layering dining enclaves.

Culinary scenes in Bombay are rich, bright and stunning from quenching treats at roadside van hot appetizers.

Or, if you are open to taste dishes from the street or you enjoy fine cuisine, you will appreciate these famous dishes in the Bombay guide doling out tantalizing details.

Street Food of Bombay

High chances that if you think about the dish of Mumbai, in a few fleeting moments, you will think about street dishes.

Street food is the heart and sole of Mumbai food culture and presents the real value of the place at very low prices.

They’ve Almost there’s a dish outlet in the streets of Bombay, which offers from curries, cheese breads, sweet nibbles, spicy samosas to even soft drinks.

The range, selection, and taste available on the streets cannot be compared to anything else hence, it is the place all visitors and natives end up preferring.

Vada Pav: Mumbai’s Iconic Snack

Vada Pav is the most popular and loved street dish of all time in Mumbai.

Sometimes termed as the ‘Burger of India’, it is a soft bread roll stuffed with a spicy potato cutlet and a few chutneys along with some green fried chillies.

Where to Try:

Anand Stall, Mithibai College, Vile Parle

Price: ₹25-30 per piece

Ashok Vada Pav, Dadar

Price: ₹30 per piece

Bhel Puri & Sev Puri: The Quintessential Bombay Chaat

It is one such dish which is surely not that appetizing looking and yet due to the powerful taste it has become one of the greatest cuisines in Mumbai.

Bhel Puri for Sev Puri is the dish item which all the tourists have to try while visiting Mumbai.

These crunchy tantalizing chaats are hyderabadi all they are really enjoyed by tourists as well.

Bhel Puri has puffed rice along with chutneys, onions and tomatoes while such puris are served on a base of mashed potatoes with chutney and sev where sevs are fried gram noodles known as Sev Puri.

Both are quite delicious and have a blend of flavors.

Where to Try:

Juhu Beach

Price: ₹50-80 per plate

Girgaum Chowpatty Beach

Price: ₹50-80 per plate

Misal Pav: A Spicy Maharashtrian Favorite

Then there is also Misal Pav, a dish that is a little extreme for the non-heat lovers, which requires no explanation.

It is a curry dish prepared from sprouted lentils, that is served with a very zesty mix of crispy fried snacks compartmented in several layers garnished with diced onions and lime.

This is a popular Maharashtrian breakfast but because of the kick it packs, it is gorged on the whole day.

Where to Try:

Mamledar Misal, Thane

Price: ₹120-150 per plate

Official Website: Aaswad Restaurant

Aaswad, Dadar

Price: ₹130-150 per plate

Bombay Sandwich: A Unique Treat

Bombay Sandwich is also an amazing snack from the sandwich family which contains slices of potato, tomato and cucumber as well as chutney in between and then grilled.

It is quite light yet very filling also and comes in many types which includes the plain or grilled option making it easy to eat without worrying about the situation.

Where to Try:

Raju Sandwich Stall, Churchgate

Price: ₹60-80 per sandwich

Official Website: Sandwizza

Sandwizza, Andheri

Price: ₹70-100 per sandwich

Pav Bhaji: A Must-Try Mumbai Dish

Among our favorite culinary delights, pav bhaji is one of those dishes that one should not miss while in Bombay.

Originally invented as a meal for the mill workers, pav bhaji is known all over the world now.

It consists mainly of mashed up vegetables with spices served with buttered pav.

When the spicy bhaji is mixed with the buttery pav, the taste is transcendental.

Where to Try:

Sardar Pav Bhaji, Tardeo

Price: ₹150-200 per plate

Canon Pav Bhaji, CST

Price: ₹130-160 per plate

Dabeli: A Sweet, Spicy, and Tangy Delight

Dabeli is a savory snack that hails from Gujarat but has found its own place within the cuisine of greater Bombay where it has become quite a hit.

Everything is sandwiched into a bun leaving all the spicy mashed potato, pomegranate seeds, peanuts and chutneys making Dabeli both exciting and mouth-watering.

This is perhaps the best vigor for the various state traditions in cuisine exemplified in the city of Bombay.

Where to Try:

Ghatkopar Khau Galli

Price: ₹20-30 per piece

Kutchi King, Various locations

Price: ₹25-35 per piece

Fine Dining and Iconic Eateries in Mumbai

Even though the essence of Bombay’s dish culture is captured in the vast array of street dishes available all over the city, a number of fine dining restaurants that serve local as well as international cuisines can also be found in the city.

In this article is a brief overview of some famous restaurants that are known for certain specialties of Bombay in fine dining.

Trishna: Seafood Specialties

Trishna, one of Bombay’s most reputed seafood restaurants, is best known for its butter garlic crab and prawn koliwada.

Origin of the restaurant can be traced to the integration of modern culinary skills to coastal cuisines which has won many dish enthusiasts the world over.

Where: Fort, Bombay

Price: ₹2000-3000 per person

Leopold Cafe: A Mumbai Icon

The famous Leopold Cafe of the 1871 institution, which is a landmark restaurant for drinking Indian and other continental dishes.

The standings of places along with the vibrant activities of people in the restaurant attracts all tourists visiting the Indian city of Mumbai.

Where:

Colaba Causeway, Colaba

Official Website: Leopold Cafe

Price: ₹1500-2000 per person

Masala Library: Modern Indian Cuisine

Befittingly, for those wanting Indian dishes but progressive Indian food, the Masala Library exceeds expectations.

The restaurant is quite popular for serving Indian dishes that entails the use of modern culinary methods, enabling a different and amazing moveable feast.

Official Website: Masala Library

Britannia & Co.: A Taste of Parsi Heritage

is a fabulous terrace restaurant providing non-vegetarian – Parsi – Gujarati – Indian dishes.

Most people come here for its famous Berry Pulao and Dhansak, but this restaurant has an old-world charm that gives a glimpse of Bombay’s Parsi past.

It is amongst the few surviving Parsi cafes in the town.

Where:

Ballard Estate, Fort

Price: ₹800-1000 per person

Web site– Britannia & Co.: A Taste of Parsi Heritage

The Influence of Mumbai’s Cosmopolitan Culture on Its Cuisine

Mumbai, predominantly known as the financial capital of India, possesses a rich cultural history that influences its gastronomical self.

Migration of people from all parts of the country and the world has made Bombay more like a melting pot of limos with each group carrying its regional cuisine.

Therefore, the dish culture in Bombay is sometimes a fusion of Gujarati, Marathi, South Indian, Parsi, and even other external cultures.

And that is the beauty of those delectable dishes of Mumbai that they are so rich in culture.

Right from the reconciled Gujarati Dabeli to the layered South Indian Dosa there is a rich dish tradition from every corner of Mumbai.

Bombay is gastronomically termed Chaat, because of its Chaat-mixing ability.

India is a land of vast traditions, ethnic backgrounds, and religions, hence, from its spicy cuisine offered everywhere, perhaps all can get even the Vada Pav drenched in curry.

Street Food: A Social Equalizer in Bombay

In a city characterized by extremes of social and economic stratification, street food is a great equalizer.

Be it a businesswoman, a college boy, or a taxi driver, all such people relish the many delicacies Bombay has to offer from the same roadside cabins.

This culture of street gastronomy further reinforces the idea of oneness in the city as it is cheap and easily available.

A dish visible on the streets is not an accessory but an integral and permanent part of the city.

Healthy delicious dishes made, prepared and served to millions every day by vendors who are available.

One more good thing about street food is that it creates bonds among the people.

More often than not, enthusiasts enjoying a plate of Bhel Puri will be complete strangers, with the same happening over Misal Pav.

Such experiences bring about a feeling of attachment which goes beyond class hence the importance of dishes in the social culture of Gateway to India.

The Role of Spices in Mumbai’s Cuisine

Gateway to India’s culinary experience is accentuated with spices.

In dishes such as Misal Pav, and Vada Pav, the blend of spices aptly termed ‘masalas’ is used liberally that provides the dishes with their signature hot flavor.

Spices do not just make the dish tasty; they add ‘heat’ and ‘body’ to each and every mouthful.

There is a great tendency among the residents of Gateway to India when eating to overuse the likes of cumin, turmeric, garam masala with red chili powder which is a phenomenon that can be defined as a positive culinary experience in every meal enjoyed.

An interesting feature of Gateway to India food is the incorporation of varied spice levels for diversity in taste preferences.

Locals are used to the burning feeling of hot dishes however, in tha some of the food served, people can request for a less spicy version of the dish.

This way, there is the assurance that the highly appealing cuisine of Gateway to India can be appreciated even by the people with the most acid sense of taste.

The Importance of Fresh Ingredients in Mumbai’s Street Food

The use of fresh ingredients is one of the contributing factors to the difference in Mumbai street dishes.

Street vendors begin their day in the early dawn, collecting fresh vegetables, herbs, and even bread from the local markets.

Because of this pursuit in every meal of Pav Bhaji, Dabeli, and Bhel Puri, the ingredients are always fresh and full of taste.

Dishes like Pav Bhaji are so addictive because of the accompanying fresh bread roll and an equally fresh mash of vegetables.

Mumbai’s dish remains uncomplicated but tasty, largely owing to the emphasis on the use of fresh ingredients.

Chutneys, snacks and the likes are flavorful all owing to fresh ingredients being utilized.

This is also one of the things that make the native’s street food apparatus very very famous all around the globe.

Mumbai’s Love Affair with Fusion Food

There is a lot of change in The Alpha World Cities food culture.

One of the food trends that has emerged in the last few years is the innovation of new fusion food.

Indian cuisine is being modified all over the world and many such fusions are quite appetizing.

For instance, the regular Bombay Sandwich is served with avocado and pesto and various other foreign ingredients.

Even Pav Bhaji pizza and Burger Vada Pav have become famous, a blend of Indian fast food and western junk food.

This mixture of the past and the present always keeps the food court of The Alpha World City new and entertaining.

Fusion food means that chefs and vendors can import new ingredients whilst still paying homage to the existing culinary traditions appreciated by Mumbaikars.

And as the city remains open and welcoming to many more cultures and ideas, so will the food offerings of the city in many new, and scrumptious ways.

Conclusion: A Culinary Journey Through Mumbai

Culinary exploration is not just about food.

It’s also about the culture, history, and spirit of the city.

You can taste all of this in each dish.

The famous foods of Mumbai, the Alpha World City, are enjoyed by both tourists and locals.

Mumbai has many popular dishes that people love to eat.

Both visitors and the people who live in Mumbai can try these tasty local foods.

People in Mumbai often enjoy eating Vada Pav on the way to work.

Others prefer to sit down and have a pet pooja meal at nice restaurants.

No matter how you enjoy it, the food in Mumbai always brings a sense of nostalgia.